Maya directs officials to follow Centre's norms over BPL families

Lucknow, October 4 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minsiter Mayawati directed officials to enlist Below Poverty Line (BPL) list as per the norms fixed by the government of India.

The Chief Minister here today called a high-level meeting in this connection and directed all the officials to follow the rules for selecting BPL families fixed by Government of India.

Ms Mayawati said the guidelines had been fixed by the Centre and could not be changed by the state government. Therefore, survey for selction of BPL families should be done accordingly.

She said all the district magistrates should delete those names from the BPL list included against the norms of Union government and pen down the names of eligible persons under the numbers fixed earlier for BPL families by government of India.

Ms Mayawati clarified that the number fixed for BPL families for districts would remain as earlier and there would be no changes in it.

The Chief Minister also directed that the listing should be done on priority basis and after marking the names for deletion, eligible persons should be selected from the same village and their names included in the list within 24 hours. Only after this, the names of ineligible persons, so marked, should be removed from the list, she asserted.

She also asked the chief secretary to review the work every fortnight by calling meeting of commissioners.

The Chief Minister made itclear that stern action would be taken against the district magistrates found to be careless in this regard.

Ms Mayawati said the population of state had increased in last eight years. Though the percentage of people living below poverty line could have gone down, the possibility of number shotting up could not be ruled out, hence a letter regarding the same had been shot off to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today requesting him for appropriate increase in the number of BPL families so that all such families could be benefited under different government schemes. The number had earlier been fixed at 99 lakh six years ago for the state.